City to have first automated parking facility

LAHORE - The Lahore Parking Company is planning to introduce automated parking system in the city, in order to cope with the increasing traffic congestion, government sources told The Nation.

For the first time in the country, a state-of-the art rotary parking plaza will be constructed at Ittefaq Hospital, Lahore, on trial basis. Initially, eight vehicles could be parked in a row at such facility, the sources added.

The project is likely to kick off next month. Moreover, the company also invited tenders from different national and international construction companies, having expertise in this field of constructing automated parking facilities.

Besides that, the Lahore Parking Company has also planned to construct four new parking plazas in different areas of the city, the sources informed.

The company run by City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has asked the DCO office to allocate funds. It had also sent a summary to the Punjab Chief Minister for approval of these parking lots earlier this year.

After a survey of different areas of the provincial capital, the LPC identified four sites - Sheranwala Gate, Neela Gumbad, Town Hall and Hall Road - for the construction of the proposed plazas.

“The company is determined to provide better facilities to the citizens keeping in view the rapidly increasing demand of parking space. We plan to construct more parking plazas and parking lots in the city,” said Kazim Ali Khan, Manager Lahore Parking Company.

“Each plaza will have parking capacity of about 850 vehicles and over 2000 motorcycles,” Mr Khan told The Nation.

He said expert engineers were working on the designs while the financial experts were taking on feasibility reports. “After the approval of funds, the company will start construction work without any delay and will try to complete these plazas as soon as possible,” he added.